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Making a Motive Analysis of The Great Stone Face
Making a Motive Analysis of The Great Stone Face. Before attempt¬ing this new kind of theme containing both De¬scription and Narration, we shall analyze a piece of literatuie which combines the two, so that we may see how the various narrative and descriptive ele¬ments we have.been studying are sometimes organ¬ized. The selection we shall study in this way is Hawthorne's The Great Stone Face which contains examples of the following motives : 1. The situation. 2. Retrospective narrative. 3. Forward-moving narrative. (That is, narra¬tive which carries the action forward from the time of the situation.) 4. Anticipatory narrative. (That is, narrative which gives us a hint of events that are coming.) 5. Description of place. 6. Description of personal appearance. 7. Description of character. 8. Description of mood. 9. Description of mode of life. 10. Description of an occasion. This resolving of a piece of literature into its component motives we call making a motive analy¬sis of it. Exercise Read The Great Stone Face rapidly for the story only, and be able to answer the following questions: What was the prophecy? How many times did the people think it about to be fulfilled? How many characters are there in the story ? Are they types or mere individuals ? Describe each briefly. Was the prophecy fulfilled in an unexpected manner? What is the lesson of the story? Do you find any touches of humor or pathos ? Where ? Who is the lading character? What is the scene of the story ? A Motive Analysis of "The Great Stone Face." Before beginning the analysis of this story, number the paragraphs from 1 to 78. Then reread it and verify the following : ANALYSIS Part 1.—The Preparation. The story of Ernest. Para¬graphs 1-12. Paragraph 1. The situation Find the elements. Paragraph 2. Transition—the device of question. Paragraph 3. Mode of life— that of the people of the village. Which of the situation elements is this connected with ? What is the fundamental quality of this de¬scription? What minor devices do you find? Paragraphs 4 and 5, Physical appearance— that of the Great Stone Face. Which one of the situation elements does this develop ? What is the fundamental quality of the appearance of the Great Stone Face ? Point out the minor devices used. Paragraphs 6-9. A return to the situation)—Which of the four w's are used in this return ? What fundamental device appears here ? Paragraph 10. Retrospective narrative— the history of the legend of the Great Stone Face. What kind of retrospective narrative is this ? Find an example of parallel construction. Paragraphs II and 12. A return to the situation—Which of the four ele¬ments are mentioned here ? What fundamental device is used in these paragraphs? Part 11.—The Gathergold story. Paragraphs 13-23. Paragraph 13. Forward-moving narrative— the life of Ernest. Character-description—that of Ernest. Mode of life—that of Ernest. Paragraph 14. Retrospective narrative—the life of Gathergold pre¬vious to his coming to the valley. What kind of retrospective narrative is this? Find four metaphors. Find and explain an allusion. Paragraph 15. Forward-moving narrative. Place-deseripion—Gathergold's house. What is the fundamental quality? What minor devices do you find here ? Paragraphs 16-2I. An occasion—the coming of Gathergold. Show that in this description of an occasion, we have touches of personal appearance, character, and mood. What is the fundamental quality ? What minor devices do you find used? Paragraph 22. Mood—that of Ernest. Paragraph 23. Anticifiatory narrative—This kind of narrative gives us a hint of what is coming. All prophecies, curses, threats, and visions, in stories are examples of antici¬patory narrative. Part III.—The General Blood-and-Thunder story. Paragraphs 24-36. Paragraph 24. Forward-moving narrative— the life of Ernest. Character-descrifition — that of Ernest. What is the fundamental quality? What minor devices do you find in this paragraph ? Paragraphs 25 and 26. Retrospetive narrative —the fate of Gathergold. The history of General Blood-and-Thunder before the time of his coming. What kind of narrative is this ? Find touches of humor. Paragraphs 27-33. An occasion —What is the fundamental quality ? What descriptive devices are used in these paragraphs ? What material is used in this description of an occa¬sion? Do you find in it a description of personal appearance ? Paragraph 34. Mood—that of Ernest. Paragraphs 35 and 36. Anticifiatory narrative—With what does the antici¬patory narrative here and in Part II. deal ? Exercises I. Parts II. and III. have the same general plan. Prove this by noting the motives used and the order in which they occur. II. Make a motive analysis of the remainder, Part IV. (paragraphs 37-51), Part V. (paragraphs 52-73), and Part VI. (paragraphs 74-78). Does the pattern observed in Parts II. and III. repeat itself? Determine the fundamental quality in each descrip¬tion and the devices used in each paragraph. III. Prove the following statements : i. The life of Ernest gives unity to the story— is the main plot. 2. The main plot is told in forward-moving narra¬tive. 3. The underplots, the stories of Gathergold, Blood¬and-Thunder, etc., are told in retrospective narrative and in descriptions of occasions which connect them with the main plot. 4. One underplot succeeds another ; that is, we have a series of underplots in the order of time. 5. The repetition, in each of the six parts, of the same plan of construction gives a sort of rhythm to the movement of the story. 6. Compare this method of working out a plot with that of The Great Carbuncle. In the latter story one underplot is not dropped and another taken up, but they all are carried along simultaneously. On the side of the plot The Great Stone Face is of the oracular type; that is, it is based on a prophecy and its fulfillment. On the side of construction it is a sequence story: it is made up of a simple pattern that repeats itself at regular intervals as do the sections of a Roman border. One man is heralded as about to fulfill the prophecy; he fails to do so. Another is heralded in like manner ; he also fails. And so on. In each of these sections of the story almost the same narrative and descriptive motives are used.